Be
Islamic, Don’t Panic.
Arshad Gamiet/Royal
Holloway University of London /UK. 29th July 2005.
“As-salámu
'alaikum wa rahmatul láhi wa barakátuh!”
“A-úthu
billáhi minash shaytánir rajeem. Bismilláhir rahmánir raheem.
Al
hamdu lillahi nahmaduhu wanasta’eenahu, wanastagh-firuhu, wanatoobu ilayhi,
wana’oothu Billaahi min shuroori an-fusinaa, wamin sayyi aati a’maalinaa.
May- Yahdillahu fa huwal muhtad, wa may- yudlill falan tajidaa lahu waliyan
murshida. Wa ash-hadu an Laa ilaaha ill-Alláh, wahdahoo laa shareeka lah, wa
ash-hadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhoo warasooluh”
All Praise is due
to Alláh, We praise Him and we seek help from Him. We ask forgiveness from Him.
We repent to Him; and we seek refuge in Him from our own evils and our own bad
deeds. Anyone who is guided by Alláh, he is indeed guided; and anyone who has
been left astray, will find no one to guide him. I bear witness that there is no
god but Alláh, the Only One without any partner; and I bear witness that
Muhammad, sws, is His servant, and His messenger.
Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem! Ya
Ay-yuhal-latheena ‘aamanut taqul-laaha, haqqa tuqaatihee wala tamu tun-na, il-la
wa antum Muslimoon.”
O You
who believe, - Fear Allah, as He should be feared, and die not except as
Muslims.
Ya
Ay-yuhal-latheena ‘aamanut taqul-laaha, wa qooloo qawlan sadeedaa.
Yuslih-lakum a’maalakum wa yaghfir lakum thunoobakum, wamay yu-til-laaha
warasoolah, faqad faaza fawzan atheemaa.”
O You
who believe, - Be aware of Allah, and speak a straightforward word. He will
forgive your sins and repair your deeds. And whoever take Allah and His prophet
as a guide, has already achieved a mighty victory…
My
respected Brothers and Sisters,
Recently,
the BBC showed a documentary about Muslims in Britain today. It’s title was,
“Don’t Panic, I’m Islamic.” My khutbah is going to re-arrange that
title, and say to the Muslims whose lives are being turned upside down,
“Be Islamic, Don’t Panic.”
They
say a week is a long time in politics. So much has happened in the last few
weeks. Our lives have changed dramatically in a very short time. We were still
trying to digest the news that some of our young people are prepared to commit
acts of mass murder. Then we hear that the police have shot and killed an
innocent Brazilian. It seems that he was mistaken for a terrorist. All this is
very worrying. Tensions are running high and no one feels safe any more. Muslims
in particular are now open to abuse and injury, and worse.
Fingers
of blame are pointing in all directions. The invasion of Iraq, British foreign
policy, Al-Qaida supporters, imams who preach hate and violent jihad, the CIA,
Mossad, the mosques that have failed our youth, and so on. But really, we need a
period of reflection. We need time to engage an honest discourse about the
problems we face. Were did it start, and where is it going to end?
If there are any failings in our community have contributed to the problem, then it
does not help for Muslims to be in denial, and to point fingers at others.
Similarly, it does not help for our politicians to be in denial of their
mistakes, in pursuing an unwise foreign policy, and applying double standards
abroad. Saying this is not to justify or even explain the actions of people who
commit mass murder. Terrorism is indefensible. Anyone who kills innocent people
is a criminal, whatever they choose to call themselves. the Holy Qurán and the
prophetic Sunnah can never be invoked to justify crimes against humanity.
However, we need some humility and openness from all sides if we are to stop the
slide into further disaster and chaos. As the Holy Qur'an says, in the verse
that opened this khutbah, it is time to “be conscious of Allah, and to speak a
straightforward word.” Wa
qooloo qawlan sadeedaa.]
These are indeed difficult times for all of us, for Muslims and for our neighbours in the wider community. But we should not let our troubles drive us to panic and despair. The Creator of the heavens and the earth is still firmly in control. History is still in safe hands. It always has been, and always will be.
This is a time for us to turn away from life’s many distractions, and to focus ourselves on the main agenda. What does God want from us? What is our particular role in the great cosmic scheme of things? Where should our energies and resources be deployed?
Brothers and sisters, you and I will have to work hard in our communities, to engage one another in open and honest discussion on the way forward. We need to persuade our young people that the way to put right perceived injustice is not to bomb innocent people, and to invite Allah’s wrath on themselves. The way to put things right is to work within the moral framework of Islam and the legal framework of this country, to appeal to hearts and minds. This is the only way. We have the Qur'an and Hadith, backed by 1,400 years of Islamic scholarship to guide us.
I
remember in my youth, a beautiful quotation
by the Islamic scholar Mawlana Fazlur Rahman Ansari. He said that a
diamond, as
we know, is pure carbon, and coal is also pure carbon. We are human beings, just
like our noble Prophet Muhammad sws and his noble Companions were human
beings. But they were like diamonds and we are still like coal. We need to
endure the heat and the pressure that turns coal into diamonds. We need the
rigors of life to be purified and beautified.
When
we recite our kalima Shahada we bear
witness that no one deserves worship, except Allah. Now, it's high time that the
movements of our
lips begin to match our thoughts, our feelings and our actions. We
have to trust Allah completely, and make sure that we do nothing to arouse His
anger. Above all, we must be fair and uphold justice, as He commands us, in the Holy
Qur'an, Sura Al Ma’idah 5:8:
“O
you who Believe! Stand out firmly for Allah, as witnesses to fair dealing, and
let not the hatred of others towards you, make
you do wrong and depart from Justice. Be just, that is next to Piety. And, fear
Allah, for Allah is well acquainted with what you do.”
If we consider the implications of this verse it is clear that even if someone hates us and behaves unjustly towards us, we have no right to behave unjustly towards them. We must be shining examples of justice, perseverance and restraint, even under the most difficult and provocative conditions. We have to study the life examples of Prophet Muhammad sws and his noble Companions, to find lessons for today. As I said in my last khutbah 2 weeks ago, we must spend more time learning and understanding Islam properly so that we can fulfil God’s purpose. We are here today by His permission, and we must cast aside the many distractions of life, and the many false interpretations of Islam, so that we can help to make our neighbourhoods safe for everyone.
I
will read from Sura al Baqara from v. 152 till 157:
152.
Then do ye remember Me; I will remember you. Be grateful to Me, and reject
not Faith.
153.
O ye who believe! seek help with patient perseverance and prayer; for truly,
Allah is with those who patiently persevere.
154.
And say not of those who are slain in the way of Allah. "They are
dead." Nay, they are living, though ye perceive (it) not.
155.
Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in
goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who
patiently persevere,
156.
Who say, when afflicted with calamity: “inna
lillaahi wa inna ilayhir raaji-oon.” "To Allah We belong, and
to Him is our return":-
157.
They are those on whom (Descend) blessings from Allah, and Mercy, and they
are the ones that receive guidance.
All
praise is due to Alláh, the Lord of all the Worlds; may the greetings and peace
be upon the best messenger, Muhammad, the unlettered prophet; and upon his
family and upon all of his companions. Amma ba’ad, And,
after this,
Behold,
Alláh and his angels shower blessings on the Prophet. O you who believe! Ask
for blessings on him, and salute him with a worthy greeting.
O
Alláh! Send your greetings upon Muhammad and his family, just as you sent
your greetings on Abraham, and his family. O Alláh, send your blessings on
Muhammad and his family, just as you blessed Abraham and his family. In both
worlds, you are praiseworthy and exalted."
. “Alhamdu
lillahi Rabbil ‘Aalameen. Was-salaatu was-salaamu alaa Khairil mursaleen.
Muhammadin-nabeey-yil Ummiy-yee, wa-‘alaa aalihee, wasah-bihee, aj-ma’een.
Ammaa
ba’ad:
Innalláha
wa malaaikata yusallúna alan nabi. Yá ay yuhal latheena ámanu sallú alayhi
wasalli mú tas leema. Allahumma salli alá Muhammad, wa ala áli Muhammad, kama
salayta ala Ibrahim, wa ala ali Ibrahim. Allahumma barik ala Muhammad, wa alaa
áli Muhammad, kama barakta ala Ibrahim, wa ala ali ibrahim. Fil ála meen,
innaka hameedun majeed.”
Part
Two:
"All
glory is for Allah, and all praise is for Allah; There is no power and no
strength except with Allah."
Sub'
hanallahi wal hamdu lillah, wala hawla wala quwwata illah billah yu althi yual
theem.
Dear
Brothers and Sisters,
The
perceived injustices that are visited on Muslims cannot be put right by more
injustice. Our lives are a test and a trial, and Allah wants us to pass that
test by delivering actions that are just and pleasing to Him. As I said in my
last khutbah, it starts by cleansing our hearts from anger and rage. Only a pure
heart devoted to Alláh, devoted to the Remembrance of Allah, can be filled with
Sakina, that is serenity,
contentment and mercy. And when the heart is right, then the words and actions
will be right.
We
Muslims must work hard to put our hearts into shape to meet this challenge. We
need to convince our young people that this is a better way than bombing and
terror. We also need to convince our neighbours in the wider community, and our
politicians, that all life is sacred, and that every person’s life is of equal
value, whether British, American, Israeli, Palestinian, Iraqi or Afghan. We are
all creatures of God and we all deserve “life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness” [to quote the US Declaration of Independence]. Our politicians have
a big responsibility. They cannot make our lives safer by putting other people's
lives in
jeopardy. Our world has become too small for that. The time for pursuing
policies based on narrow national self interest is past, and history is littered
with its failures. We need a more inspiring vision for the 21st
century than the idea that greed is good and might is right.
We
need to convince politicians everywhere that they can help to make our world a
safer place for everyone. They should be driven by policies that promote justice
and sustainability. In short, our economic and foreign policies must promote the
greatest good for all citizens of our fragile planet.
The
Rev. Martin Luther King was leading the Civil Rights movement in the USA in the
1960’s. He said that ‘either we will live together as brothers, or we
will perish together as fools.’ He was addressing black and white Americans 40
years ago. He could well have been addressing the G8 summit or some angry young British Muslims today. His words still ring true.
The English poet, John Donne wrote, “No man is an island, entire of itself. Each is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as if a promontory were, as if a manor of thy friends or of thine own were …… Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. Therefore, never send to know for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for thee.”
Both Martin Luther King and John Donne, speaking centuries
apart, and speaking the same universal message of Islam, even though they did
not realise it.
Brothers
and sisters let all us get “involved in mankind,” starting with our families
and neighbours. Let us build bridges of understanding, to make Britain a safer
place for ourselves and for our grandchildren.
May
Allah help us to make our country and our world safer for everyone.
Recent events have made one thing very clear.
We can choose to swim together or drown together. Either we are all
safe, or no one is safe at all.
O
Alláh, help us to bring this message home to everyone, especially our angry
young people, and help us to bring Islam’s true message of Peace, Hope and
Mercy to all people, everywhere.
"Rabbana la tu'akhizna in-nasina aw akh-ta'na. Rab-bana wa la
tahmil 'alayna isran kama hamaltahu 'ala-lladhina min qablina, Rab-bana wa la
tuhammilna ma la taqata lana bih, wa-'fu 'anna wa 'ghfirlana warhamna anta
Maulana fansurna 'alal-qawmil kafirin."
“O
Alláh, condemn us not if we fall into error, Our Lord, lay not on us a burden
like that which you laid on those before us, Our Lord, lay not on us a burden
greater than we have strength to bear; Blot out our sins, grant us forgiveness,
have mercy on us; You are our protector; Help us against those who stand against
faith.”
Ameen. Aqeemus salaah!
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Jazakallah Khairan!